Gender, education and engagement in antisocial and risk-taking behaviours and emotional dysregulation

Kimberley A. Brindle, Terence V. Bowles and Elizabeth Freeman
The University of Melbourne, Australia

This investigation examined the influence of gender and education attainment on engagement in antisocial and risk-taking behaviours and emotional dysregulation. A convenience sample (N = 285) of Australians, aged between 18 to 74, completed the Antisocial Engagement Questionnaire and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Gender differences were evident as females engaged in lower levels of antisocial and risk-taking behaviours and experienced more emotional dysregulation than males. The constructs of interest were also influenced by an individual's education attainment. Individuals with low education attainment had a higher propensity for engagement in antisocial and risk-taking behaviours and experienced increased emotional dysregulation compared to those with high education attainment. This research has contributed to our understanding of engagement in antisocial behaviours and emotional dysregulation and specifically identified gender differences within each of these constructs. It has also highlighted education attainment as a protective factor against engagement in antisocial behaviours and emotional dysregulation.
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Authors: Kimberley Brindle (corresponding author) is a researcher for The University of Melbourne who is interested in engagement in antisocial and risk-taking behaviors, emotional regulation, and adaptability. She has been involved in multiple research projects concerning education, psychology, learning and emotional regulation. She is also a Registered Psychologist. Email: brindle.k@gmail.com Terry Bowles is an Associate Professor in Educational and Developmental Psychology at the Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne. Terry currently works at the postgraduate programs in Educational and Developmental Psychology. His current research focuses on psychological aspects of learning, motivation, connectedness and change management. He is also a Registered Psychologist. Email: tbowles@unimelb.edu.au Web: https://www.findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/display/person88327 Elizabeth Freeman is an Honorary Senior Fellow in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at The University of Melbourne. Her research interests include the promotion of young people's wellbeing; interpersonal relationships and conflict management in education; teachers' professional learning and action research. She is also a Registered Psychologist. Email: l.freeman@unimelb.edu.au Web: https://www.findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/display/person1610 Please cite as: Brindle, K. A., Bowles, T. V. & Freeman, E. (2019). Gender, education and engagement in antisocial and risk-taking behaviours and emotional dysregulation. Issues in Educational Research, 29(3), 633-648. http://www.iier.org.au/iier29/brindle.pdf